"we're actually fighting a much larger battle, and losing isn't an option we want to contemplate."

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/4/5/175537/5701

Turning Back the Clock

by BooMan
Tue Apr 5th, 2011 at 05:55:37 PM EST


The Republicans want to repeal the health care bill the Democrats passed last year. They want to repeal Medicare and Medicaid. They want to make it next to impossible for poor people to get contraceptives. They want to stop all efforts to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Basically, they want to return the country to the 1950's. They even want to restore the racial and religious demographics of 1950's America. There's only one problem. The top marginal income tax rate in the 1950's was between 91%-92% on all income over $400,000. Without question, the rich payed a higher share of their earned income under Eisenhower than any other president in our history. It was JFK who cut the top rate down to 77% in 1963.

Obviously, the 1950's cannot serve as a proper model for the Republicans. They have to go back to the mid-to-late 1920's when the top rate was 25% on all income over $100,000. And do you know what happened in the late 1920's? The stock market crashed and brought on the beginning of the Great Depression, which, in turn, brought fascism to Germany and greatly enhanced the seductive appeal of Soviet-style communism. It brought world-wide war and genocide on an unprecedented scale. It brought radiological weapons so powerful that they can still end all life on Earth. I think we ought to consider whether or not there is a correlation between the policies that ruined everything in the 1920's and the policies that ruined everything in 2008. And while we may have had the tools to turn a second Great Depression into a mere Great Recession, we only limited the damage and the risks; we didn't eliminate them.

We see new strains of xenophobia, race-consciousness, religious intolerance, and hyper-patriotism. We see major new strains of anti-intellectualism. We have a toxic brew that is being stirred up and heated up by irresponsible entertainers, demagogues, and provocateurs. It's being funded by corporate interests in a way that is eerily reminiscent of the German industrialists who lent support and encouragement to the National Socialists.

So, we can talk about numbers all we want. We can talk about what constitutes a good or bad compromise on the budget. But we're actually fighting a much larger battle, and losing isn't an option we want to contemplate.

[northoftheborder]

1. Deadly serious truth.

[Atman]

2. Can I rec this a thousand times?

Says it all. Thanks for posting.

[FrenchieCat]

3. The "I-won't-work-for-him- or-donate-to-him" contigency

obviously don't believe much is at stake at all.
In fact, they believe that a Revolution led by some
unknown progressive hero and hords of supporters
will turn this 200+ year old Republic into a Dictatorship,
in where the dictator will be a good guy who will give
progressives every single thing they want.....

Said dictator will also break heads of those who dissent,
and will nationalize all television so that the propaganda
is done his/her way to alleviate the suffering of everyone,
while making the rich pay. Oh...and dictator will close all
financial wall street institutions, and we will revert to a
barter society where money or oil no longer have a say in any matter.

It will be Fab! Real Utopian like.
Sounds pretty cool! :thumbsup:

[sudopod]

6. The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Carry on!

[Peacetrain]

4. good article!

[Pirate Smile]

5. If only this could get through the heads of the people who like to spend their time making lists of

what promises President Obama hasn't kept.

People are too caught up in spewing garbage at the President to focus on who are the real problem.

Can you imagine if people focused on winning back the statehouses and school-boards, let alone the House and keeping the Senate?

[nenagh]

7. babylonsister...

I am currently reading Jim Marr's " The Rise of the Fourth Reich"

Thought it would be enjoyable reading for a holiday..

I'm only on Chapter 5.. but very interesting that Booman says that it is "eerily reminiscent of the German industrialists who lent support and encouragement to the National Socialists"

Because the chapter Jim Marr's writes about the intentional complexities of some corporations formed after WW2 .. and their interconnections.. it is chilling reading to someone who knows as little about the subject as myself.

I'm into the sci-fi stuff now.. which is actually a relief to read.. :)

[babylonsister]

8. Kind of scary that sci-fi is more palatable than real life.

I'm glad you're educating yourself; we all are here. :hi:

[nenagh]

9. Thanks babylonsister...

I've enjoyed your comments & posts for years here at DU.. just more as a lurker..

My sense is that, for a long time, there has been a very dark strategy being played out..

Thanks for posting this which I've bookmarked and will compare with info as the book progresses.

:hi: